Our Team

Dr. Sandra Coufal brings over 30 years of experience to Toragen as a physician and serial entrepreneur working with multiple successful companies in medicine, chemistry, biotechnology, material sciences, and digital technology.

• Co-founded and managed Sibling Capital Ventures and Sibling Capital
• Co-founded Ilypsa, Inc. KIKLIN® (bixalomer) (M&A $0.5bn - 2006 & 2007)
• Co-founded Relypsa, Inc. VELTASSA® (patiromer) (NASDAQ: RLYP) and served as Board Observer on the Board of Directors (IPO - 2013, M&A $1.5bn - 2016)
• Founded Relypsa’s and Ilypsa’s Scientific Advisory Boards
• Co-founded and served as Director on the Board of Directors at Tricida, Inc. (NASDAQ: TCDA) (IPO - 2018)

Dr. Coufal served as Biomedical Advisor for the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation for 21 years where she vetted drug development projects and provided senior-level advice.

Currently, Dr. Coufal serves on the Board of Directors of BioAesthetics, Inc. and personally co-led their Series A financing round of $5mm in 2020. Additionally, Dr. Coufal serves on both the Industry Advisory Board of the Harper Cancer Research Institute at the University of Notre Dame and the New Orleans BioFund.

Dr. Coufal received her medical degree from the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School at Dallas. Previously, Dr. Coufal was Head of the Division of Internal Medicine at the Torrey Pines site of Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA, where she also sat on the Board of Scripps Green Hospital as the Representative-at-Large. She also completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas under Chairman Dr. Daniel Foster. She received her Bachelor of Science undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and was designated a Notre Dame Scholar.

• Aside from Dr. Coufal's extensive career in medicine, biotechnology, and venture capital, she is an 8-year breast cancer survivor and has a personal passion to improve the treatment of cancer patients.

Kevin Schubert currently serves as our Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Schubert was previously the president and chief financial officer of Rubicon Technologies, Inc. (“Rubicon”) from 2022 to 2024. Prior to joining Rubicon, Mr. Schubert served as an executive/advisor to multiple companies, including as chief financial officer of the Ocean Park Group, an early stage company focused on experiential hospitality.  In addition, Mr. Schubert was the senior vice president of finance and development of Red Rock Resorts, Inc. (Nasdaq: RRR), a public gaming, development and management company, from 2017 to 2020. Mr. Schubert was also the vice president of strategy and development of Las Vegas Sands Corporation (NYSE: LVS), a public gaming, development and management company, from 2014 to 2017. Mr. Schubert received his juris doctor from UCLA School of Law and a masters in business administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Mr. Schubert received his bachelor of science from The University of Arizona. 

Dr. Neil Clendeninn has over 20 years of contributions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. A proponent of “Slow Medicine,” Neil is a practicing physician and served as Program Director for Palliative Medicine Partners: Complex Illness Coordination, a program of Kauai Hospice in Kauai, Hawaii. He also advised a variety of biotechnology, pharmaceutical and CRO companies engaged in developing products for cancer, HIV and pain. He is the author of over 150 papers, abstracts and textbooks.

Recently, Dr. Clendeninn served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Heron Therapeutics, in San Diego, CA where he established the clinical departments including Medical Affairs, Clinical Operations, Clinical Research and Biostatistics. He was instrumental in gaining the approval of SUSTOL® (granisetron) a long acting granisetron formulation for chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.

Previously Dr. Clendeninn served as Director of Clinical Oncology for Burroughs Wellcome CAMPATH® LEMTRADA® (alemtuzumab) NAVELBINE® (vinorelbine) in Research Triangle Park, NC. Dr. Clendeninn served as Corporate Vice President, Head of Clinical Affairs (CMO) for Agouron Pharmaceuticals INLYTA® (axitinib), in La Jolla, CA. At Agouron, Dr. Clendeninn developed the AIDS protease inhibitor VIRACEPT® (nelfinavir), which was approved in record time (36 months). He began the development of INLYTA® (axitinib). Dr. Clendeninn consulted for Algeta's/Bayer’s approval of XOFIGO® injection (radium Ra 223 dichloride, radium-223; previously called Alpharadin).

Dr. Clendeninn served as a practicing physician and held academic faculty roles at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD and practicing physician at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA.

Dr. Clendeninn has participated on several boards : the Board of Directors at OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals in Bothell, WA, and a Scientific Medical Advisor at the Cancer Prevention & Research Initiative of Texas (CPRIT). He was formerly on the Board of Scientific Advisors for National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Clendeninn earned his M.D. and Ph.D. degree in microbiology and pharmacology from New York University in New York, NY. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle. He then trained at National Cancer Institute in Oncology and specialized in new drug development. He also holds a Master of Science in Urban Planning from the Newschool of Architecture and Design, in San Diego and an executive MBA from Kenan-Flagler Business School, Management Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.

Dr. Richard Lumpkin leads Toragen's scientific strategy with his 30+ years of experience in early-stage biotechnology companies and synthetic chemistry. 

He previously served as Senior Director at Global Blood Therapeutics (Ticker: GBT - M&A $5.4bn 2022) OXBRYTA® (voxelotor) becoming the first employee of this Third Rock Ventures founded company. 

He also played an instrumental part in spinning off Portola Pharmaceuticals (Ticker: PTLA - M&A $1.4bn 2020) BEVYXXA® (betrixaban) ANDEXXA® (coagulation factor Xa (recombinant), inactived-zhzo) from Millennium Pharmaceuticals (Ticker: MLNM M&A $8.8bn 2008). 

He held positions as a synthetic chemist and computer programmer at COR Therapeutics (Ticker: CORT M&A $2.0bn 2001) INTEGRILIN® (eptifibatide), RiboGene (Ticker: RBO M&A 1999) , Amylin (Ticker: AMLN M&A $7bn 2012) SYMLIN® (pramlintide acetate) BYETTA® (exanatide) and Corvas International, Inc (Ticker: CVAS M&A 2003).

Dr. Lumpkin received his undergraduate in Geology and a graduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Dr. Andrew Sharabi is a Board Certified Radiation Oncologist and Associate Professor at UC San Diego, and physician-scientist with a PhD in Immunology who specializes in treating Head and Neck Cancer.

• Internationally Recognized expert on Radiation and Immunotherapy
• Principle investigator of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials
• Director of Radiation Medicine Core Facility at Moores Cancer Center
• Scientific Advisor for San Diego Center for Precision Immunotherapy

Dr. Sharabi worked at Johns Hopkins University in the Immunology Research Program Under Drs. Charles Drake and Drew Pardoll who helped to discover the PD-1 checkpoint pathway.

Steven Lebow is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bakken Energy. He is also the Founder and CEO of Lebow & Co., a private investment and financial advisory firm. Throughout his 45-year career, Steven has been an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette ("DLJ"), founder of Global Retail Partners, a venture capital firm, a private investor and founder of businesses across numerous industries including consumer, retail, automotive, software, credit and energy. He has been the lead financier to many early-stage companies. These businesses have grown into some of the leading brands in their respective industries including Costco, Starbuck's, PetSmart, Dick's Sporting Goods, Envestnet, Ebay, Pipper Standard and ULTA Beauty. On a combined basis, the market capitalization of these companies exceeds $700+ billion.

Earlier in his career, Steven was a Managing Director at DLJ from 1979-2000. At DLJ, he led the Retail Investment Banking Group advising clients in the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Steven was voted into the DLJ "Hall of Fame" in 1995. In 1986 Steven established DLJ's Los Angeles Office and Co-Headed the Los Angeles Office with Ken Moelis from 1990-1996. Steven was very active recruiting people for DLJ and for many of the notable companies he financed.

In 1996 Steven co-founded Global Retail Partners within DLJ and was co-Founder and co-Managing Partner. Global Retail Partners launched with approximately $160 million in funding from investors including Carrefour of France, Paul Allen's Vulcan Investment Arm, DLJ and approximately 150 current or former CEOs or CFOs of

John Major is founder and president of MTSG, a strategic consulting and investment company. An innovator in the tech and wireless industry, Major has served in numerous leadership positions including CEO of Apacheta Corp., chairman and CEO of Novatel Wireless Inc., which he took public, and corporate EVP of Qualcomm and president of its wireless infrastructure division. Major held various executive and leadership positions at Motorola Inc. for 18 years, including SVP and CTO. Major is Chairman Emeritus of the La Jolla Institute, the premier research institute focused on the immune system. He is also Chairman Emeritus of EvoNexu, a premier incubator in southern California. Previously, he has served on the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Academy of Science, and the board of the Software Engineering Institute. He has served on the boards of directors of Orbcomm, Lattice Semiconductor, Lennox International Inc., and Littelfuse Inc. He also served on the board of Broadcom where he was chairman for a number of years. Major received a B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Rochester, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, an M.B.A. from Northwestern University and a J.D. from Loyola University. Major is a named inventor on 13 U.S. patents. He has a honorary Doctor of Science from Westminster College, and a honorary Doctor of Engineering from the University of Illinois Chicago. 

Dr. May has spent more than 3 decades in leadership roles, demonstrating that science drives society forward, spurring innovations that improve the human condition. She earned her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, and through a variety of professional roles within and across the non-profit, corporate, federal and academic sectors, Dr. May has launched and led efforts that serve both science and society. At the University of Michigan, Cathleen served as Interim Associate Dean for Research and then Senior Director for Strategic Partnerships in the School for Environment and Sustainability. Creating more than 30 public-private programs among universities, museums, and land management agencies, she launched the National Paleontology Center of Excellence in the Department of Agriculture. While Director of the Institute for Earth Science and the Environment, then Chief Science Officer of the Geological Society of America, she co-led the GeoIndicators initiative of the International Union of Geological Scientists, earning consulted to the U.S. Geological Survey and while also launching her own 501(c)3—The Foundation for Relevant Science, while also pursuing her own field research in Argentina and the U.S. Southwest. 

As Director of Global Bids and Contracts at ProQuest (now Clarivate), Dr. May led a team providing information technology and content to academia, government, and the life and medical sciences. 

Cathleen has served on dozens of advisory boards and committees, ranging from the Dean’s Advisory Board, Rackham Graduate School of the University of Michigan to the International Union of Geological Scientists Commission on Geology and Environmental Planning as an Officer.

Dr. Cathleen May is Independent Co-executor of the Estate of Paul F. Engler, one of the original backers of Toragen, sharing his belief that innovation and entrepreneurism fuel success.  She sits on the Board of Directors of the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation whose mission continues to serve these ideals and to honor the legacies of both Paul and Virginia Engler.

Dr. May earned her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, 

has spent more than 3 decades committed to demonstrating that science drives society forward, spurring innovations that improve the human condition. Through a variety of professional roles within and across the non-profit, corporate, federal and academic sectors, Dr. May has launched and led efforts that serve both science and society. Early in her career, Cathleen launched the USDA Forest Service National Paleontology Center of Excellence, creating more than 30 public-private programs among universities, museums, and land management agencies. She served as Director, Institute for Earth Science and the Environment, and then as Chief Science Officer of the Geological Society of America, while also launching her own 501(c)3—The Foundation for Relevant Science. At the University of Michigan, Cathleen served as Interim Associate Dean for Research and then Senior Director for Strategic Partnerships in the School of Natural Resources and Environment (now the School for Environment and Sustainability). She then crossed over to the corporate sector at ProQuest (now Clarivate), an information technology and content provider to academia, government, and the life and medical sciences, as Director of Global Bids and Contracts. While serving in these roles, Cathleen also pursued her own research, focused on geoecological contingencies--the geological and geomorphic parameters of habitat formation and persistence. Over the years, Cathleen has served on dozens of advisory boards and committees, ranging from the Dean’s Advisory Board, Rackham Graduate School of the University of Michigan to the International Union of Geological Scientists Commission on Geology and Environmental Planning as an Officer. 

Dr. Cathleen May is Independent Co-executor of the Estate of Paul F. Engler, one of the original backers of Toragen, sharing his belief that innovation and entrepreneurism fuel success.  She sits on the Board of Directors of the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation whose mission continues to serve these ideals and to honor the legacies of both Paul and Virginia Engler.

Kimberly Manhard has served on the Board of Directors of Toragen since 2020. Ms Manhard currently serves as Executive Vice President, Drug Development for Heron Therapeutics, and served as a director of Heron from 2014 – 2015 and 2019-2023. Ms. Manhard has also served as a director of InhibRx, Inc. since 2020 and Shoreline Biosciences since 2021, which are both focused on the research and development of new treatments for cancer. 

Ms. Manhard has more than 25 years of experience in drug development, regulatory affairs and pharmaceutical operations. From 2008 to 2016, she served as the Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Development Operations at Ardea Biosciences, Inc. In her role at Ardea, Ms. Manhard was instrumental in the development and regulatory approval of Zurampic® (lesinurad) in 2015. Prior to joining Ardea in 2006, she was President of her own consultancy firm, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Exelixis, Inc. and held multiple regulatory positions at Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a division of the Warner-Lambert Company, supporting development and commercialization of anticancer and antiviral products, including Viracept® (nelfinavir). Ms. Manhard was also previously with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in regulatory affairs, responsible for oncology compounds, including Taxol® (paclitaxel) and infectious disease compounds, including Videx® (didanosine) and Zerit® (stavudine). She began her career in clinical research with Eli Lilly and Company and G.H. Besselaar Associates (Covance Inc.).

Ms. Manhard is a member of the board of trustees for the Fleet Science Center. She received a B.S. degree in zoology and a B.A. degree in French from the University of Florida. 

Bill Hagaman serves as a consultant to GenHenn Capital, a family office that it is actively investing in life science companies, serving on the board or an observer of seven portfolio companies. In the role of board member, Bill works with these companies on formulating their vision and strategy and assists the board oversight on management development and delivery of milestones. He also mentors the companies CEO’s.
 

Bill is the former Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of WithumSmith+Brown, PC (Withum), the 22ndlargest accounting, tax and advisory firm in the country, having held that role from 2010-2022. He was a member of the firm's management for over 40 years, joining Withum in 1980. During his tenure as CEO, Withum grew 7X in revenue and expanded into non-traditional advisory services, while establishing a national reputation for its unique culture and strong team member retention rates. Bill focused on a servant leadership style of putting people first, with remarkable results. 

With expertise in international business and business management, Bill has been an active member of HLB, the global network of advisors and accountants, https://www.hlb.global/ Since 1999, serving previously as Executive Committee member and Vice Chair. He was appointed Global Chair of HLB in October 2022, and currently serves in that role for a three-year term and has agreed to run for another term through 2027. During Bill’s tenure as Global Chair HLB has grown over 30% and improved their global ranking from number 11 to number 8 with close to $6b USD in global revenue. 

Bill’s additional professional and philanthropic involvements are exemplary. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees and current Board Member of the Francis E. Parker Memorial Home https://www.parkerlife.org/. Under Bill’s leadership the board transitioned to a formal NFP board that was responsible for delivery of a vision and strategy to serve stakeholders and hold management accountable for specific annual goals and metrics. He is also Treasurer of the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation; former Chairman and current Treasurer of the New Brunswick Cultural Center, Inc.; and former Chairman of George Street Playhouse. In 2010, Bill received the Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award, honoring him for his dedication to the arts. 

A long-time active member of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Bill is a current member of the Executive Committee of the Board and Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. He is also on the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board. Bill was the recipient of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Business Advocate of the Year Award in 2022, received the National Network Leadership Award by the Jobs for America’s Graduates NJ chapter in 2020 for his fundraising efforts through the New Jersey Chamber.

He also provides consulting services to the accounting profession, with a focus on mentoring and coaching CEO’s, facilitating M&A transactions, strategic planning, partner compensation programs and retreat facilitation. He currently serves on the advisory board of a top 100 accounting firm.

Bill is a graduate of Richard Stockton College of New Jersey with a bachelor's degree in accounting and is currently a member of the Stockton University School of Business Dean’s Executive Advisory Board. In 2021, he was the inaugural recipient Stockton University School of Business Outstanding Alumni Award. He also established the William R. Hagaman, Jr. First Generation Student Endowed Scholarship, in perpetuity, from which first-generation college students in the School of Business are given a monetary award to help defray their college costs.

Bill is a sought-after thought leader, appearing on television and radio programs discussing topics related to leadership and business management, including appearances on Steve Adubato’s television show, “NJ Caucus”; News 12 New Jersey’s television segment, "New Jersey Business"; and Executive Leaders Radio. He is frequently quoted in accounting and business publications and has authored many articles over the years on topics ranging from fixed asset management to mergers and acquisitions to leadership within the profession. Bill was featured in the business leadership book, Catalysts of Culture: How Visionary Leaders Activate the Employee Experience, in which the first chapter spotlighted Bill and his story of Withum’s unique culture.